Windows 11 Insider DEV Channel

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7051 (Dev & Beta Channels)

Starting today, the same Dev Channel updates based on Windows 11, version 25H2 are being offered to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel as a recommended update.

If you are an Insider in the Dev Channel, you now have a window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel if you would like. This window will only be open for as long as the same 25H2-based updates are being released across both the Dev and Beta Channels. After the Dev Channel is moved forward to a higher build number, the opportunity to switch between these channels will close. When the Dev Channel jumps ahead, things might not be as stable as the Dev Channel is today, so you are highly encouraged to evaluate which channel you would like to be in during the time in which the window to switch is open.

For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of the referenced blog post.

New features gradually being rolled out with toggle on

Introducing Ask Copilot in taskbar
With the new Ask Copilot in taskbar, Copilot becomes a natural part of how you use your PC, ready to help, guide and collaborate the moment you need it.

This opt-in experience gives you one-click access to Copilot Vision and Voice, enabling more natural interaction in your flow. Whether through text, voice, or guided support with Copilot Vision, you can engage on your terms, in the way that works best for you. You're always in control. As you type, results appear and update instantly, making it easier than ever to find what you need.

To get started go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Ask Copilot to enable the experience. You can also manage whether the Copilot app launches automatically at sign-in using the "Auto start on log in" toggle in the Copilot app settings.

Ask Copilot in taskbar complements the familiar Windows Search experience, so you can continue using Search as you always have from Start while trying out this new experience.

Ask Copilot uses existing Windows APIs to return apps, files, and settings—just like Windows Search—and does not grant Copilot access to your personal content. For more details, you can learn about privacy and control options for Microsoft Copilot here.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Ask Copilot in taskbar.

Full screen experience
Following the initial launch of the full screen experience (FSE) on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, today's preview to Windows Insiders expands availability to additional Windows 11 handheld devices currently in market.

Designed with console-style navigation in mind, the Xbox PC app paired with the full screen experience delivers a clean, distraction-free interface for handheld gaming. You'll get smooth task switching and optimized performance, with background processes minimized and non-essential tasks deferred—so gameplay stays responsive and uninterrupted.

How to enable FSE:
On supported devices, go to Settings > Gaming > Full screen experience, then select Xbox as your home app. Once enabled, you can access FSE from Task View and Game Bar or configure your handheld to enter full screen experience on startup.

Availability:

• Currently available on ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X
  
• Preview rolling out to MSI Claw models today
• Additional OEMs enabling their handhelds in the coming months

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Gaming and Xbox > Gaming Handhelds.

Shared audio (preview)

• In this update, we are beginning rollout of shared audio (preview), a new experience built on Bluetooth® LE Audio broadcast technology, for Copilot+ PCs. Shared audio allows two family members to watch movies together while traveling, or two students to share music while studying.
  
• To get started, access the "Shared audio (preview)" tile in quick settings, select two supported paired and connected accessories and click "Share" to begin.
• For more information about shared audio (preview), including details about compatible PCs and accessories, visit Extending Bluetooth® LE Audio on Windows 11 with shared audio (preview).
  

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Prism]

• We are enabling the feature update to Prism, our emulator for Windows on Arm, that makes it possible for more 64-bit x86 (x64) applications to run under emulation by adding support for more CPU features under emulation. This support will be made available to any 64-bit x86 (x64) application under emulation by default, and 32-bit x86 applications can be opted in to the support using the emulation settings in the Properties window.
  
• Please submit any feedback on compatibility issues or performance regressions through the Feedback Hub (Win + F) under Apps and the specific app you're seeing issues with (if you don't see the app listed, use "All other apps") to help us to ensure that this updated Prism provides a great experience.

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[General]

• Fixed an underlying issue leading to keyboards or other USB devices not working for a small number of Insiders after the latest flights.

[Start menu]

• Fixed an issue where interacting with a folder or its contents in Start menu could result in the folder becoming invisible.

[File Explorer]

• Made some underlying changes to help responsiveness of File Explorer when navigating in network locations.
• Made some more underlying improvements to help reduce the launch time of File Explorer.
• Fixed an issue where "Open" in File Explorer's context menu wasn't showing the right icon for .exe, .cmd & .bat files (was showing a generic executable icon, instead of the default app for that file type).
• Fixed an issue where you might see your desktop icons move when interacting with files, such as opening or renaming them.
• Fixed a couple issues where tooltips were not showing up as expected when using navigating Home with a keyboard.

[Lock and login screens]

• Fixed a memory leak when your lock screen was set to slide show, which could lead to performance or reliability issues over time when unlocking your PC.
• Fixed an issue which could cause logging into be very slow the first time when logging into a new account.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where the search box in Settings could become overlapped with the minimum and maximize buttons in the title bar.

[Other]

• Fixed an issue where after the latest updates, screen readers might unexpectedly say "legacy window" without reading out the window contents when interacting with certain apps.
• Fixed an issue where after the latest updates, text might not render correctly when editing content within a multiline text box in certain apps.
• Fixed an issue where protected content playback might fail on some machines after the latest updates.
• Fixed an issue which could cause ethernet upload speeds to be significantly lower on some PCs after the latest updates.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7051 (Dev & Beta Channels) updated.

Rolling out Quality Update 26220.7052 to Windows Insiders in the to test the servicing pipeline.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7070 (Dev & Beta Channels)

The same Dev and Beta Channel updates based on Windows 11, version 25H2, are being offered to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel.  See the linked blog post about information switching between channels.

New features gradually being rolled out with toggle on

Widgets
Choose your default dashboard in an updated Widget Board Settings 

• Launching the Widget Board when it's showing live weather content will now open the first dashboard in your navigation bar instead of your most recently used dashboard for a more predictable Widget Board experience.
• To modify your default dashboard, navigate to the new full-page Widgets Settings experience by clicking the gear icon at the bottom of your Widget navigation bar and re-arrange your desired default dashboard to the top position.

See numbered badges on the Widget Board navigation bar 
Badges on the dashboard icons in the Widget navigation bar will now show numbers corresponding to the number of alerts from that dashboard. Navigation bar badges clear automatically when you leave a dashboard, making it easy to track what's new.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets

Changes and Improvements for everyone

[Recovery]

• We're updating Quick Machine Recovery in Windows – Microsoft Support make getting back to a working PC clearer and faster. The experience in both Windows Settings and the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) has been streamlined so options are easier to find and use. On PCs with the settings "quick machine recovery" and "automatically check for solutions" both enabled, QMR now runs a one‑time scan by default instead of repeating scans in a loop. If a fix isn't available right away, you won't be left waiting; QMR will quickly point you to the most appropriate recovery options to get you back up and running.
  

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Smart App Control]

• We're updating Smart App Control (SAC) so you will now be able to switch SAC off or on without any clean install requirement. To make changes, go to Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Smart App Control settings.
• When it's on, it helps block untrusted or potentially harmful apps. You can learn more about SAC App & Browser Control in the Windows Security App – Microsoft Support.
  

[File Explorer]

• We are re-enabling people icons under the "Activity" column in File Explorer Home detailed here.
  

[File Explorer]

• We are temporarily turning off the integration supporting the StorageProvider APIs for cloud providers as detailed here.
  
• We are temporarily turning off support for frequently used and recently downloaded recommended files in File Explorer as detailed here.
  

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[General]

• Fixed an underlying issue which was causing interacting with the desktop to unexpectedly open Task View recently for some people.

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue where Shift + Click (or middle clicking) on File Explorer in the taskbar wasn't opening a new File Explorer instance.
• Fixed an issue where the File Explorer active tab title might not display bolded until you hovered your mouse over it.

[Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue which could lead to the "Automatically hide the taskbar" setting unexpectedly turning off, after seeing a message saying "a toolbar is already hidden on this side of your screen".

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue which could lead to Settings hanging when trying to navigate to the Network & Internet section.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7262 (Dev & Beta Channels)

The same Dev and Beta Channel updates based on Windows 11, version 25H2, are being offered to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel.  See the linked blog post about information switching between channels.

New features gradually being rolled out with toggle on

HD Voices in Narrator and Magnifier
Narrator and Magnifier now support high-definition voices for English (United States), powered by Azure's latest on-device text-to-speech models. These voices use generative AI to adjust tone and pacing for more natural, expressive speech.

When reading with Narrator or listening to text in Magnifier, HD voices provide clearer audio and smoother flow. This helps reduce listening fatigue during long sessions and makes it easier to stay focused on the content. While natural voices are available in multiple languages, HD voices are currently offered in English (United States). Both Narrator and Magnifier allow you to personalize your experience by adjusting voice speed and switching between voices anytime.

To enable in Narrator

• Open Settings → Accessibility → Narrator.
  
• Navigate to "add a natural voice" button
• Download your preferred HD voice.
  
• Switch voices or adjust speed anytime in Narrator settings.

Currently, HD voices are available in English (United States), with one male (Andrew) and one female (Ava) option to choose from.

Magnifier also supports natural voices, including new HD options for even clearer, more lifelike speech. To enable:

• Open Settings → Accessibility → Magnifier.
  
• Navigate to "add a natural voice" button
• Download your preferred voice.
  
• Change voices or adjust speed anytime in Magnifier settings.

FEEDBACK: Please share your feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Narrator or Accessibility > Magnifier.

Narrator now supports math

• We're introducing the first phase of Math reading in Narrator, bringing clearer and more natural math experiences to users who are blind or have low vision. With this update, equations in Microsoft 365 apps such as Word can now be read in a structured way that reflects how they're meant to be understood. Math is at the heart of STEM education and learning, and this improvement helps ensure that students and professionals can independently explore equations, formulas, and scientific notations with confidence.
• To try out this experience, turn on Narrator (press Win + Ctrl + Enter) and open a Word document containing mathematical equations. Use any of the standard Narrator reading commands to hear equations read aloud in a more natural, structured way. We're continuing to refine this experience and plan to expand it to more scenarios in the future.
  
• FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Narrator.
  

AI Components Setting

• New "Experimental agentic features" toggle in the Settings app. This setting, under System->AI Components, allows agents to use new Windows agentic features. More information can be found here: Experimental Agentic Features – Microsoft Support.
  

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Click to Do]

• The Click to Do context menu is being updated with a streamlined design, making it simpler to locate what you need. Frequently used actions like Copy, Save, Share, and Open will now be easier to access directly from the context menu.
  
• Whenever a large image or table appears on your screen, the context menu will automatically pop up, making it quicker and easier to access the actions and results you need.
  

Image Object Selection Update

• We are temporarily turning off Image Object select as detailed here for Dev and Beta
  

Teaching Tip Updates

• Teaching tips and introduction screen in tutorial mode have been improved.
• A new "Launch Tutorial" button and refreshed instructions make it easier for users to start the tutorial.

[Input]

• Pens that support haptic feedback will now deliver tactile responses during certain interactions with the system UI. For example, you may feel vibrations when hovering over the close button or when snapping and resizing windows.

[File Explorer]

• We are reconfiguring the CFR that supported AI Actions in File Explorer – Insiders may see a temporary loss in image actions and Copilot summary actions as this is relaunched and gradually rolled out to Insiders in the Dev & Beta Channels.
  
• We're temporarily stopping the roll out of the ability for newly launched File Explorer folders to open in tabs instead of windows, as it wasn't working correctly. Appreciate your patience.

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[General]

• Fixed an issue resulting in mouse and keyboard not working for some Insiders in WinRE / Advanced Startup.

[Taskbar]

• Fixed an issue recently causing some Insiders to see a message saying they don't have an eligible camera for Recall when they did.

[Task Manager]

• Fixed an issue where the Task Manager process wasn't stopping correctly after closing Task Manager. As a result of this, you may have also seen Task Manager unexpectedly open on boot.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where the Virtual Workspaces options weren't working correctly in Settings > System > Advanced. As part of this fix, the option is now available again for Insiders.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271 (Dev & Beta Channels)

The same Dev and Beta Channel updates based on Windows 11, version 25H2, are being offered to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel.  See the linked blog post about information switching between channels.

Introducing the Xbox full screen experience for PC

Alongside today's general availability of the Xbox full screen experience (FSE) on more Windows handhelds, today's preview to Windows Insiders also expands availability of FSE to additional Windows 11 PC form factors.

Designed with console-style navigation in mind, the Xbox full screen experience delivers a clean, distraction-free interface for controller-first gaming. Pair a controller to your PC for smooth task switching and a streamlined gaming experience on your desktop, laptop, or tablet.

How to enter Xbox full screen experience:

You can access Xbox full screen experience from Task View, Game Bar settings, or use Win + F11 hotkey to toggle FSE.

The Xbox full screen experience begins as a gradual rollout to Windows Insiders on the Dev & Beta Channels, who are also registered Xbox Insiders. We expect to expand this later to all Insiders on Dev & Beta without requiring Xbox program registration. If you want to be among the first to try out these new features on your PC, join the Xbox Insiders Program and opt into the PC gaming preview thru the Xbox Insiders Hub.

For more information about the Xbox full screen experience, visit Full screen experience expands to more Windows 11 PC form factors.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Gaming and Xbox > Gaming Full Screen Experience.

New features gradually being rolled out with toggle on

Point-in-time restore for Windows
We're excited to introduce point-in-time restore for Windows, now available to Insiders in the Beta and Dev Channels! This flexible recovery feature empowers you to quickly roll your device back to a previous state—helping minimize downtime and simplify troubleshooting when disruptions strike. Whether you're dealing with a widespread outage or a one-off issue, point-in-time restore helps recover your system (including apps, settings, and user files) to get you back to productivity faster. For more details, check out our documentation.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Recovery and Uninstall > Point-in-time restore.

Introducing Fluid Dictation in Voice Typing
Following the introduction of Fluid dictation for voice access users, we're also now introducing it for voice typing users on NPU devices. Fluid dictation makes voice-based dictation smoother and smarter by automatically correcting grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you speak, reducing the need for manual editing. Powered by on-device small language models (SLMs), it ensures fast and private processing.

To use it, set focus to a text field and launch voice typing by pressing the Windows key plus H and complete setup if you're a first-time user. Fluid Dictation is enabled by default—you can check or toggle it via the settings flyout—so all you need to do is start talking!

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Input and Language > Voice Typing (Windows key plus H).

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Seamlessly resume more apps from your Android phone to your PC]

• Following the ability to resume Spotify tracks from your phone onto your PC, we're excited to share that:
  
  • vivo Android phone users can also now continue your browsing activity from vivo Browser on your phone, onto your default browser on your PC.
  • Honor, Huawei, Oppo, Samsung and vivo Android phone users can also now continue online files opened on M365 Copilot app from your phone onto your PC. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files will open in the respective app on your PC if you have it installed, or if you don't they'll open in the default browser on your PC. Note – offline files (stored locally on the phone) are not currently supported.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers > Linked Phone.

[Click to Do]

• We're testing and refining the Click-to-Do top bar to determine the best experience for future updates. Functionality will vary by device and market.

[File Explorer]

• We're making a few refinements to the context menu aimed at reducing the space taken by less commonly used actions, while keeping them easy to access. We've also updated the ordering of actions to group similar tasks. This includes:
• We've moved Compress to ZIP file, Copy as Path, Set as Desktop Background, and Rotate Right, and Rotate Left into a new Manage file flyout.
• We've moved cloud provider options, like Always Keep on this Device and Free Up Space, into their relevant cloud provider flyout.
• We've moved Send to My Phone next to the cloud provider options.
• We've moved Open Folder Location to now be next to Open and Open with.

Note, the name Manage file may change in a future Insider update. If you have feedback, please file it in the Feedback Hub under Desktop Environment > Right-Click Context Menu

• We're exploring preloading File Explorer in the background to help improve File Explorer launch performance. This shouldn't be visible to you, outside of File Explorer hopefully launching faster when you need to use it. If you have the change, if needed there is an option you can uncheck to disable this called "Enable window preloading for faster launch times" in File Explorer's Folder Options, under View. Looking forward to your feedback! If you do encounter any issues, please file them in the Feedback Hub under Files Folders and Online Storage > File Explorer Performance, or Files Folders and Online Storage > File Explorer.

[Microsoft Store
Based on user feedback, we have added support for uninstalling Store-managed apps from the Store's library page. Simply find an installed app in your library, click the three-dot menu, and click uninstall. Please let us know what you think!

Windows Insiders across all channels running Microsoft Store version 22510.1401.x.x and higher will see this improvement.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Microsoft Store.

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Taskbar and System Tray]

• Fixed an issue which could cause the taskbar to hang after receiving certain notifications.
• Fixed an issue where the battery icon in the taskbar might unexpectedly show its own backplate when hovering over the icon in the system tray (instead of combined with wi-fi and volume).

[Internet]

• Made some underlying improvements to help address an issue which could lead to not having internet after resuming from disconnected standby. Please don't hesitate to file feedback under Network and Internet in the Feedback Hub if you continue experiencing issues.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where if you opened the Recycle bin and had "Empty recycle bin" visible in the command bar, it might stay showing after you navigated away.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue where Settings might crash when navigating to Privacy & Security > Camera, Location, or Microphone.

[Display and Graphics]

• Fixed an issue where recently certain games might show a message saying "Unsupported graphics card detected", although a supported graphics card was being used.

[

• If you're using Die or CAMM memory form factor, Task Manager will now show that in Performance under Memory > Form Factor, instead of a blank.

[.NET Framework and Visual Studio]

• The issue causing Insiders with ARM64 PCs to potentially observe crashes with Visual Studio or applications that depend on .NET Framework should be resolved if you have installed the latest .NET Framework update.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7344 (Dev & Beta Channels)

Releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7344 (KB5070316) to both the Dev & Beta Channels on Windows 11, version 25H2. If you are an Insider in the Dev Channel, you now have a window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel if you would like. This window will only be open for as long as the same 25H2-based updates are released across both the Dev and Beta Channels. See the blog post for more information.

New features gradually being rolled out with toggle on

Public preview of native support for MCP on Windows
Windows now offers native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that gives AI agents a universal way to connect with apps, tools, and services. Agents can discover and connect to these tools and other agents via a secure, manageable Windows on-device registry (ODR). By default, all agent connectors in the Windows on-device registry will be contained in a secure environment with their own identity and audit trail. With OS level integration, MCP on Windows delivers secure discoverability, consistent controls, and enterprise grade manageability—empowering developers, IT professionals, and end users to build and deploy agentic workflows at scale.

As part of this release, two agent connectors are built into Windows—File Explorer and Windows Settings.

• File Explorer Connector

Agents can use the File Explorer connector to manage, organize and retrieve local files on a user's device with their consent. On Copilot+ PCs, the connector can also perform natural language search to retrieve the exact file based on descriptions, content, metadata, and, for images, enhanced search based on image classification.

• Windows Settings Connector

On Copilot+ PC devices, Windows Settings connector lets users check, change settings, or navigate directly to specific pages such as display, mouse, keyboard, and sound using natural language.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Developer Platform > All other issues.

Quick Machine Recovery
Quick machine recovery (QMR) will now be turned on automatically for Windows Professional devices that are not domain joined. These devices will get the same recovery features as Windows Home users. For enterprise computers that are domain joined, nothing changes—QMR will stay off unless your organization turns it on.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Recovery and Uninstall > Quick Machine Recovery.

Update Orchestration Platform (UOP)
The Unified Update Orchestration Platform (UOP) is starting to roll out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels. UOP makes app updates more consistent and predictable, with fewer interruptions. Insiders will see a new page in Settings > Apps > App Updates, where they can check update progress and take action if needed.

How it Works

• Apps will register with UOP via APIs.
• UOP triggers a registered app to scan, download and install updates based on user activity and system state.
• Apps continue to utilize their own backend for acquiring updates.
• Apps report update status back to UOP, so users can see it in the App Updates page.

Availability

No apps utilize UOP yet because the feature is new, but  apps will start using it over time. The feature is partially enabled for Dev and Beta Channel Insiders today and will reach full enablement in these channels soon. API documentation will follow.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Downloading, installing, and configuring Windows Update.

Windows MIDI Services
We're excited to announce the highly anticipated production release of Windows MIDI Services, going to the Dev and Beta  Windows Insider channels today, and then to retail Windows in the next few months. This is our update of MIDI on Windows with a focus on a great experience for musicians using MIDI 1.0 or MIDI 2.0.

Thank you to all the Insiders who provided feedback on the February 5, 2025 Canary Channel Windows Midi Services preview: Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27788 (Canary Channel) | Windows Insider Blog. Your feedback, bug reports, and testing have been invaluable!

New features in this release include:

• Full support for WinMM MIDI 1.0 and WinRT MIDI 1.0, complete with in-service translation, enabling any API to use any MIDI 1.0 or MIDI 2.0 device. This means your existing applications will use the new service and gain important new features like the ability for more than one app to open a MIDI port at the same time, custom port names, and more.
• New loopback and app-to-app MIDI support.
• Lots of performance improvements and bug fixes thanks to our vibrant community. Thank you!

The App SDK and Tools package is a separate download, versioned outside of Windows. This enables applications to use the in-box MIDI 2.0 features and also provides the tools you need to manage your MIDI setup on Windows, including the MIDI Console and MIDI Settings app. Current releases are available on our GitHub repo releases page or via the main Windows MIDI Services landing page. Please note that these are unsigned releases at the moment and so will give you a warning when you download and install.

We look forward to having Windows Insiders who create music try out the Windows MIDI Services release especially with your current applications and devices. You can also join the discussion on Discord if you have questions or are looking to help or provide feedback! You will find a list of known issues documented here.

Feedback: Share your thoughts on GitHub or Discord.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out with toggle on

["Open With" App Integration]
We're updating Open With so that if you don't have a relevant app you need installed, instead of having to open Microsoft Store to find it, it will now show directly in this list as available to install. This makes it faster and easier to find and install the app you need.

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Search]

• Fixed a recent issue which could caused the search window to unexpectedly start floating above the taskbar.

[File Explorer]

• If there are no available or enabled AI Actions, this section will no longer show in the context menu.
• Fixed an issue where File Explorer might not search certain SMB shares after the latest updates.

[Windows Hello]

• Fixed an issue resulting in fingerprint recognition not working for some Insiders after the latest flights.

[Display and Graphics]

• Fixed an issue which could cause the Project pane to not appear after pressing WIN + P.

[Xbox full screen experience for PC]

• For Insiders with the new Xbox full screen experience for PC, the virtual keyboard should now show properly when needed for controller users on devices without a touch screen.

[Other]

• Fixed an issue in the previous flight which was leading to some Insiders seeing a bugcheck with error DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL when using a controller.
• Fixed an underlying issue that could lead to your PC freezing where attempting to run Windows Terminal elevated from a non-admin account.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7523 (Dev & Beta Channels)

If you are an Insider in the Dev Channel, you have a window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel if you would like. This window will only be open for as long as the same 25H2-based updates are released across both the Dev and Beta Channels. See the blog post for more information.

New features gradually being rolled out with toggle on

Introducing Ask Copilot on the taskbar with Microsoft 365 Copilot
In October, we introduced Ask Copilot on the taskbar in build 26220.7051 for consumer customers. Now, we're starting to roll out a version tailored for commercial customers—first announced at Microsoft Ignite. This opt‑in experience will roll out gradually in the coming weeks to commercial Windows Insider Program customers in the United States who have Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses.

Ask Copilot on the taskbar provides a unified entry point that fluidly connects Microsoft 365 Copilot, agents, and search. This makes Copilot and agents feel like a natural part of how you use your PC, turning everyday interactions into moments of productivity and impact.

• One-click access to Copilot from your taskbar: This opt-in experience is the most integrated and natural way to engage with Copilot through voice or text in the way that works best for you. Commercial users will have all the power of their Work IQ as contextual information that they can reference in their Copilot chats and with Microsoft 365 AI Agents.
  
• Invoke agents: You'll be able to invoke agents directly from Ask Copilot on the taskbar using the tools button or by typing "@."
  
• Streamlined search experience: Lightning-fast results in a refreshed design makes finding apps, files and settings easier.
  

To get started go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Ask Copilot to enable the experience.

Ask Copilot in taskbar complements the familiar Windows Search experience, so you can continue using Search as you always have from Start while trying out this new experience.

Ask Copilot uses existing Windows APIs to return apps, files, and settings—just like Windows Search—and does not grant Copilot access to your personal content. For more details, you can learn about privacy and control options for Microsoft 365 Copilot here.

Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Ask Copilot in taskbar.

Introducing Agents on the taskbar
Windows is adding a new way to keep an eye on your Agents right from the taskbar.
Researcher in Microsoft 365 Copilot can dig into a topic and build a detailed report, and now you'll be able to track its progress without breaking your flow. Give it a try by asking Researcher a question from within the Microsoft 365 Copilot App.

We're also testing a hover experience—when you move your cursor over the Copilot or Researcher icon, you'll see real‑time reasoning updates, so you always know how the task is progressing. Researcher will also let you know when it's done. This opt‑in experience will roll out gradually in the coming weeks to commercial Windows Insider Program customers in the United States who have Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses.

When the report is complete, you will receive a notification as well as seeing a 'completed' state on the taskbar. Click either to go back to Microsoft 365 or review the report and turn your learnings into action.

We are experimenting with different ways that Agent tasks will appear in the taskbar to determine how to best meet the needs of customers. (Group the agent task with the Copilot icon on the taskbar or have it as a separate Researcher icon.)

Agent Launchers on Windows
We are introducing Agent Launchers, a new framework that enables Windows apps to register AI agents and make them discoverable across the system. Agent Launchers provides a standardized way for apps to expose their interactive AI agents so they can be found and invoked by Windows and Applications. When launched, these agents open their chat experience so you can start working with them. Agents provide active, collaborative experiences, asking clarifying questions, maintaining context, and taking actions to get things done.

With Agent Launchers, developers can register their agents once, and those agents become available to all supporting experiences—including Ask Copilot on the taskbar with Microsoft 365 Copilot and other installed apps. Microsoft 365 Copilot is already using this framework to register agents like Analyst (for gaining insights from data) and Researcher (for creating detailed reports). Developers can register agents statically at install time or dynamically at runtime, giving flexibility to control availability based on authentication, subscriptions, or other conditions. Documentation is available at https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/ai/agent-launchers/.

FEEDBACK: Please share your feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Developer Platform > App Actions on Windows.

Personalize what Narrator announces
Narrator now gives you more control over how information is spoken when you navigate UI elements in an app. Every app is made up of different control types—such as buttons, checkboxes, links, sliders, and text fields. Each control includes properties (like its name, role, or state) and values (for example, a slider set to "75%"). Narrator usually announces these in a fixed order, but you can now choose which properties are spoken and rearrange their order to match your preferences.

For example, when you land on a "Submit" button, Narrator may announce: "Submit, button." With personalization, you can choose to hear the label first, the role first, or omit something you don't need. On a checkbox, you might decide whether the state ("checked" or "not checked") should come before or after the label—or whether you prefer not to hear the state at all.

To customize these announcements, press Narrator key + Ctrl + P. From there, you can select, unselect, & reorder the properties Narrator speaks for each control type.

You can make changes faster using a natural language input box exclusively on Copilot+ PCs. Simply type what you want—for example: "Don't announce the selection info or position info,"

These changes apply to that control type throughout the app you're currently using.

You can also preview how your personalized announcement will sound before saving your changes. If you ever want to go back, simply choose Reset to default to restore Narrator's original announcement pattern.

Shape Narrator's detail level the way you prefer—clearer, more predictable, and aligned with how you want to navigate.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Narrator

Enhancing the Touch Keyboard Experience for Voice Typing
We're updating the experience when you use voice typing with the touch keyboard to make it feel more streamlined and intuitive. The new design removes the previous full‑screen overlay and instead shows voice typing animations directly on the dictation key, helping you stay focused on what you're doing without extra visual distractions.

FEEDBACK: Please share your feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Input and Language > Voice Typing (Windows key plus H).

Discover Windows Widget
We're introducing a new Discover Windows widget on Windows 11. This widget helps you learn about Windows features with short, helpful tips that appear right when you need them.

What it shows:

• Quick, actionable tips from the Windows Tips website—covering things like shortcuts, productivity tricks, and security reminders.
• Tips update automatically throughout the day to match common usage moments.

How to add it:

• To Widgets Board: Open the Widgets Board, select Add widgets, then choose Discover.
  
• To Lock Screen: Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, then add the Discover widget to your lock screen widgets.
  

You can add it, remove it, or ignore it at any time—it's designed to be helpful without getting in the way. We'll be trying out this experience with Insiders first to gather feedback before a wider rollout.

FEEDBACK: Please share your feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Settings Agent Language Expansion]

• Last September, we announced that Agent in Settings experience was expanded to include French in Dev and Beta Now, the languages supported by the Settings Agent continue to be expanded. The following locales and languages are supported with this release:
  

Current:

• English: en-gb, en-us
• French: fr-fr, fr-ca

New:

• German: de-de
• Portuguese: pt-br, pt-pt
• Spanish: es-es, es-mx
• Korean: ko-kr
• Japanese: ja-jp
• Hindi: hi-in
• Italian: it-it
• Chinese (Simplified): zh-cn

[Click to Do]

• The Copilot prompt box in Click to Do now supports Microsoft 365 Copilot. Ask Microsoft 365 Copilot about what's on your screen. Quickly type a custom prompt directly into a text box, which is then sent to Microsoft 365 Copilot along with your selected screen content. This change is not yet rolling out to Windows Insiders in the EEA (European Economic Area) or China. This feature previously rolled out last September to Dev and Beta channel outside of EEA.
  

[Input]

• The AltGr layer is now enabled for the Arabic 101 keyboard layout.  The left Alt key continues to function as before, while the right Alt key acts as a modifier to access additional symbols. The first new symbol mapped to AltGr on the Arabic 101 layout is the Saudi Riyal currency symbol (AltGr + S). Users who switch languages with Alt + Shift can continue to use the left Alt + Shift or the general shortcut Windows logo key + Space. Arabic 102 and Arabic 102 AZERTY layouts are updated similarly.
  

[Voice Access]

• We're introducing a more streamlined setup flow to make it even easier to get started with Voice Access. The redesigned flow helps download the right speech model for your language of choice; select your preferred input microphone & highlights what Voice Access can help you do on your PC.

[Taskbar]

• We're temporarily stopping the rollout of the new animations when sliding between open apps on the taskbar to investigate some issues – appreciate your patience.

[File Explorer]

• For Windows Insiders signed in with a Microsoft account (consumer cloud), File Explorer will now begin showing people icons under the "Activity" column on File Explorer Home and in areas like Recommended, Favorites, and Recent. When you hover or click on a people icon, File Explorer will display the new Windows People Card (WPC), giving you lightweight context about who recently interacted with the file and providing quick actions like starting a chat or a call through your preferred communication apps.

This brings the people context experience—previously available only for work and school (Entra ID) files via the Live Persona Card (LPC)—to consumer cloud files as well, enabling a more consistent and intuitive collaboration experience across File Explorer. This is an update to the originally released feature which was previously documented in the Dev and Beta channels August 2025.

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Taskbar and System Tray]

• When your taskbar is set to uncombined, if you have an app open with many windows, they will no longer all move as a set to the overflow area when there is not enough space on the taskbar, and instead only the ones specifically within the set that don't have space. With this change, the overflow area should no longer appear to display with lots of available space.
• Fixed an issue where the label in the taskbar might not be displayed correctly if you had an app with multiple windows open.

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue causing File Explorer recently to show a white flash when navigating between pages after the latest flights.
• Made some improvements to File Explorer search performance by eliminating duplicate file indexing operations, which should result in faster searches and reduced system resource usage during file operations.
• Enhanced search reliability with improved handling of system and secondary drive locations, to help ensure more accurate search results across all your storage devices.
• Fixed an issue which could prevent OneDrive files from opening in RemoteApp sessions (showing error 0x80070057).
• Improved Voice Access support in File Explorer's Gallery view, so you can now open photos by saying 'click [number]' instead of requiring 'double click,' streamlining voice-controlled navigation.

[Login and lock screens]

• Fixed a few more issues which could lead to the login screen becoming unresponsive and not rendering.

[Display and Graphics]

• Fixed an issue which could lead to Adaptive Brightness not working immediately after rebooting your PC.

[Windows Update]

• Fixed an issue resulting in an increase in Insiders seeing error 0x800F0922 when trying to install the latest updates recently.

[Other]

• Fixed an issue where text might not display correctly in Windows Recovery when using the Japanese display language.
• Fixed an issue where in some cases valid Windows license migration might fail when upgrading because the device couldn't register with the Windows Activation server for its CLIP / online entitlement, requiring using the troubleshooter to fix.
• Fixed an issue where external virtual switches might lose their physical network adapter (NIC) bindings after a host restart. When this happened, the switches would revert to internal mode, resulting in loss of network connectivity for virtual machines and blocking normal server operations.
• Fixed an issue where the Share dialog might unexpectedly show an option to share to Shell Experience Host.
• Updated the "Change Account Type" dialog in Settings > Accounts > Other accounts to better align with other modern dialogs in Settings.
• If you were seeing a message saying "There's a newer build available" in Windows Insider Program Settings, but there wasn't actually, that should be resolved now.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535 (Dev & Beta Channels)

As a reminder, the same builds are being offered to both the Dev & Beta Channels on Windows 11, version 25H2. This will continue until the Dev Channel moves forward to a higher build number. If you are an Insider in the Dev Channel, you now have a window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel if you would like. This window is soon closing.

Note: Insiders who previously had trouble switching channels should be able to do so now.

New features gradually being rolled out with toggle on

Bringing Copilot-powered image descriptions to Narrator
Last year, we introduced rich image descriptions in Narrator on Copilot+ PCs—making it possible for blind and low-vision users to hear detailed, AI-generated descriptions of images, charts, and graphs.

Narrator can now work with Copilot on all Windows 11 devices to further understand images and visual elements on your screen. You can press Narrator key + Ctrl + D to describe the focused image or press Narrator key + Ctrl + S to describe the full screen. Copilot opens with the image ready, allowing you to enter your own prompt and generate a description tailored to what you want to know. Importantly, the image is only shared after you choose to describe it. You remain in control at every step.

On Copilot+ PCs, Narrator continues to provide instant, on-device image descriptions using local AI. Press Narrator key + Ctrl + D/S, and Narrator immediately reads a rich description—highlighting people, objects, colors, text, numbers, and layout. When you want more detail or follow-up insights, simply select Ask Copilot to continue exploring.

This feature is not available in the European Economic Area (EEA).

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Narrator.

Uninstalling Microsoft Copilot App on managed devices
Admins can now uninstall Microsoft Copilot for a user in a targeted way by enabling a new policy titled RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp. It will apply for devices/users that meet the below conditions:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot are both installed
• The Microsoft Copilot app was not installed by the user
• The Microsoft Copilot app was not launched in the last 28 days

If this policy is enabled, the Microsoft Copilot app will be uninstalled, once. Users can still re-install if they choose to. This policy is available on Enterprise, Pro, and EDU SKUs.

To enable this policy, open the Group policy editor and go to: User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows AI -> Remove Microsoft Copilot App.

FEEDBACK: Please share your feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Taskbar.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[For Developers]

• We're excited to share an enhancement to the Cross Device Resume capability that we announced earlier. Until now, app developers could integrate with Resume using a solution based on the Link to Windows app. We've now introduced an additional integration path leveraging the Windows Notification System (WNS). This additional option expands the scope of users to whom you can offer Resume capability, while delivering the same seamless experience on Windows. We invite developers to explore onboarding with this new capability alongside the existing integration method. Together, these options help maximize continuity across devices. Use WNS Notifications to implement Cross Device Resume (XDR) – Windows apps | Microsoft Learn.
  

[Windows Spotlight]

• The Windows Spotlight icon is getting refreshed. The new icon flight was started in late December for a small set of Insiders.

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Start menu]

• Fixed an issue where the edge of the warning dialog shown when shutting down your PC while other users were still signed in was truncated by the edge of the Start menu.

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue which was causing explorer.exe to crash for some Insiders when invoking the context menu on the desktop recently.

[Input]

• Fixed an issue which could lead to a black flash when using a pen to ink in Snipping Tool.

[Print]

• Fixed an issue which could lead to two print dialogs appearing when you opened print instead of just one.
• Fixed the color of the close button the print dialog to be consistent with other windows.
• Fixed an issue where the text on the Printers and Scanners page in Settings could become truncated and unreadable.

[Windows Update]

• Fixed an issue which could lead to the Windows Update settings page hanging when loading.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653 (Dev Channel)

This is the same build as the January 16th Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7653 (Beta Channel) release.

If you are an Insider in the Dev Channel, you now have a window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel if you would like. This window is soon closing.

Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Account Settings]
We're updating the design of dialogs in "Accounts > Other Users" based on modern WinUI framework with support for dark mode.  See the blog post for the images.

Feedback: Please share your feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under "Settings -> User Profile Account Settings.

[Click to Do]

• The Copilot prompt suggestions in Click to Do will now load instantly. This change is not yet rolling out to Windows Insiders in the EEA (European Economic Area) or China.

[Desktop Background]

• You can now set .webp images for your desktop background in Settings > Personalization > Desktop Background.

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[Taskbar and System Tray]

• Fixed an issue in the latest builds where, when the taskbar was set to autohide, it might invoke before interacting with the bottom of the screen, blocking the use of apps in that area.
• Fixed a recent issue which was causing the Start menu, notification center, and quick settings to not open on click sometimes, although using the keyboard shortcuts for each of these still worked.

[Start menu]

• Fixed a memory leak when opening the Start menu, which could lead to performance issues over time.
• Fixed an issue for Arabic and Hebrew users, where Start menu was opening on the wrong side of the screen when the taskbar icons weren't centered.
• Fixed an issue where if you opened a folder of pinned apps in Start menu and tried to pan it with touch, it would dismiss Start menu.

[Bluetooth]

• Fixed an issue causing Bluetooth device battery level to not show for some Insiders after the latest builds, even though the devices supported it.

[Xbox full screen experience for PC]

• This build fixes some unexpected app and game behavior when using FSE. We're continuing to validate scenarios and as such keeping the known issue active for now. Thank you Insiders that have been sharing feedback!

[Login and Lock Screens]

• Fixed an issue which could cause the password icon to appear blank on the login screen.

[Settings]

• Fixed an issue causing Settings to crash when interacting with audio devices in the last two builds.
• Fixed an issue where the keyboard character repeat delay in Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Keyboard was backwards from how it was set in the backend.

[Other]

• Fixed a few issues with clipped text in msinfo32 when using a high display scaling.
• Fixed an issue impacting some Insiders where clicking on .appinstaller files to install MSIX packages was unexpectedly failing with an invalid argument error.
• Fixed an underlying issue which was causing Notepad to not display an underscore in text with certain fonts when your display was set to 125%.
• Fixed an underlying issue which could cause explorer.exe to hang when first logging into your PC, if certain apps were configured as startup apps. This could make the taskbar not appear.

[Corrine]

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7674 (Dev Channel)

Starting today, the Dev Channel is jumping ahead to receive 26300 series builds. This means that the window to switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel is closed once Build 26300.7674 is installed. If you are in the Dev Channel today and still want to switch to the Beta Channel at the last minute, when Build 26300.7674 is offered you can pause updates in Windows Update and switch your channel to the Beta Channel and un-pause updates.

Fixes gradually being rolled out with toggle on

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue where the "Extract All" option would not appear in the command bar while browsing non-ZIP archive folders.

[Start menu]

• Fixed an issue for some Insiders where clicking the "hide this pane" button in the mobile device side panel might not lead to the setting to hide it.

[Search]

• Fixed an issue where the Search process was showing an icon with an X instead of a magnifying glass.

[Settings]

• We've made some underlying changes to help address cases where the Settings Home page might be very slow to load.

[Display & Graphics]

• Fixed an issue causing secondary monitors to not display correctly and show black screens after the latest updates for a small number of Insiders.

[Other]

• Fixed an underlying issue in the previous flight which could cause unexpected sign-in failures when using Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365.
• Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see a bug check with error SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION after the last few flights.